Zag contact@zag.com

Stand Q202

Zag is attending Licensing Expo 2023 following an incredible two years for flagship brand MiraculousTales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. At the event, Zag will also be sharing news of consumer products launches for the original comedy-action series Ghostforce and presenting its newest property, Melody.

Joining the company for the first time at this year’s expo is the recently appointed SVP of Global Consumer Products, Mark Kingston, who reports to Julian Jacob Zag, EVP Global Operations and head of Consumer Products. Mark is an entrepreneurial, accomplished and results-oriented executive with broad international experience who will spearhead Zag’s licensing and merchandising activities around the globe. He brings to Zag his Paramount-acquired expertise in developing innovative and sophisticated solutions to deliver some of the world’s top-grossing global brands.

With retail sales hitting over US$1b, Miraculous continues to soar, with season five on air across the globe and the US$100m+ animated movie arriving this summer. Miraculous has been shortlisted by LIMA for Best Brand – Animated for a second year.

This summer, Miraculous Ladybug makes her feature film debut in the animated and musical tale, Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir: The Movie. A superhero blockbuster for the whole family, directed by Jeremy Zag and produced by Zag and Mediawan Kids and Family, the movie takes fans on a journey of discovery as it follows the origin story of how two ordinary teens - Marinette DuPain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste - embarked upon their superhero destinies. The film is a modern take on the superhero genre, a coming-of-age story about first love and an unlikely duo who must find the courage to meet their destiny. The epic quest is full of action, comedy, music and magic and is set against the dazzling backdrop of Paris. The movie will premiere theatrically in select territories in July, in France by SND and in Germany by StudioCanal. A global summer launch will soon be announced.

The Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir TV series, meanwhile, is scoring top ratings in more than 120 countries around the globe across multiple traditional media outlets and streaming platforms. With broad appeal across age demographics, Miraculous has become a global digital craze with over 33b views on YouTube (authorised and user-generated content) and more than $1b in retail sales.

Multiple licensing partners have been announced this year to date. For 2024, Playmobil will develop and distribute a diverse toy range that will feature superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir alongside their team of heroes and villains. Popular scenes from the series will be presented in the Playmobil aesthetic across a wide range of play sets and seasonal toys, which will be distinguished from other Miraculous toy offerings by Playmobil’s iconic look and feel. This summer, Hyperkin is launching an exclusive line of Miraculous branded controllers as well as branded hard-shell cases to protect Nintendo Switch OLEDs or Nintendo Switch video game consoles, and Kodansha will launch manga for ages 8+.

Other notable deals include Build-a-Bear for North America and the UK. The line includes a Ladybug bear that can be personalised with costumes, outfits and accessories. Zag has also entered the $1b pet market with a line of Miraculous toys from Zippy Paws featuring plush and air gliders.

Arriving in autumn from master toy partner Playmates is the Miraculous Movie Doll line and Miraculous Chibi Mini Playsets, inspired by the viral phenomenon Miraculous Chibi Shorts on YouTube. These stylised fantastical ‘surprise’ environments include the Miraculous Chibi Boulangerie: Cakes & Crush and the Miraculous Chibi Amusement Park: Rides & Rescue. Each comes with two Miraculous Chibi figures.

Two major promotions are ongoing. A Miraculous macaron-flavoured cereal from Kellogg’s is available at retail across North America. Reminiscent of the classic Parisian treat, sweet, strawberry-flavoured pink and purple cereal pieces capturing Ladybug and Cat Noir’s powers channelled through their Kwamis, Tikki and Plagg, are coupled with white marshmallows. The Miraculous x Puma clothing line includes leggings, shorts, a skirt and a cap, while footwear styles include the Slipstream, Rider FV and Popcat, featuring spot-on patterns and gradient schemes. Meanwhile, Ladybug and Cat Noir receive their very own RS-X models inspired by their own dynamic and unique superhero personas.

On the gaming front, Movile’s Afterverse, the creator of the immensely popular free-to-play metaverse PK XD, has launched a new in-game collaboration featuring the Miraculous characters. Over 1b minutes of PKXD: Fun, Friends and Games have been played since it launched in September 2019, achieving the rank of Top 5 game in Latin America, reflecting the Brazilian DNA and the largest market. The first Miraculous console game, Miraculous: Rise of the Sphinx (available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam) is GameMills’ No. 1 international title for 2022 and No. 2 US title for 2022 and sold out on Amazon on day one of launch. Zag is currently in pre-production for a second console and PC game.

Additional promotional partners for the movie will soon be announced, joining the current 400+ licensing and promotional partners.

New Ghostforce products are already available in Europe, with magazines from Blue Ocean currently at retail across the continent and books from Panini in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Rubies will soon launch a costume range across Europe, while Audiobooks and DVDs are on the way from Edel in the GSA region. In LatAm, the consumer products programme launches for Halloween 2023 with 18” figurines of the heroes and villains as well as costumes from Novabrink. Xalingo will debut wooden toy products alongside luggage, backpacks and lunch boxes from Dermiwil, ice cream from Lolla Sorvestes, and experiences from C&E.

Zag will also be presenting the upcoming animated feature Melody, starring singer, songwriter and actress Katy Perry.

440 Over million units of Pokémon software sold worldwide

77 13 Pokémon TCG: countries and regionslanguages

Pokémon animation: 1,000+ 23 25 177 30 episodes movies seasons countries and regionslanguages

15 Pokémon mobile apps available around the world